Copenhagen

12.15.09

China, U.S. in Climate Deadlock

Copenhagen got a little colder Monday as China and the U.S. reached an impasse in climate negotiations, with China refusing to allow international monitoring of its emissions levels despite having announced a target for reducing its emissions growth rate—a sticking point for the U.S., which says it cannot accept any deal without verification of China’s actions. The U.S.-China stalemate is yet another contributor to the glacial pace of climate negotiations, which many worry could bog down the ability of heads of government—who begin arriving later this week—to reach a final accord. Still, some were confident that a deal could be reached: “They’re going to wait until the last hour of the last day and just as the other side is walking out they’ll say, ‘Hey, come back.’ Just as they do every day in every market in China,” said Barbara Finamore of the NRDC. “That’s why they’re the best negotiators in the world.”